Selections From News@JAMA and JAMA Forum

Longer-term breastfeeding doesn't appear to reduce the likelihood that a child will be overweight or obese, according to recent findings.

The study contradicts previous evidence suggesting that breastfeeding may have a protective effect against child obesity. Researchers analyzed data from a clinical trial in Belarus that compared an intervention to promote long-term, exclusive breastfeeding with usual breastfeeding promotion practices. Children in the intervention group weren't less likely to be overweight or obese at 6.5 years of age. On the other hand, children in the intervention group had a lower risk of gastrointestinal tract infections and atopic eczema in the first year of life.